Structural and magnetic properties of pyrochlores Gd2−xMxRu2O7 (M=Ho,Y)

In this paper we investigated the structural and magnetic properties of the Gd_2−xM_xRu₂O₇ (M=Ho and Y, x  =0.0, 0.1, 0.2, 1.0 and 2.0) pyrochlores. The samples were prepared by solid state reaction method, characterized structurally by X-ray diffraction with Rietveld refinement and magnetically by measuring the temperature dependence of the magnetization. X-ray diffractograms of all samples studied presented a cubic pyrochlore type crystal structure with lattice parameters varying linearly in accordance with Vegards law. It is shown that by substituting Gd by Ho one can tune the magnetic order of this system moving from antiferromagnetic (in the absence of Ho) to ferromagnetic (in the absence of Gd). On the other hand by replacing Gd for Y the antiferromagnetic order is decreased.©$\copyright$ 2010 Elsevier Science. All rights reserved